| Ashton upon Mersey | |
St Martin's Church, Ashton upon Mersey |
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Ashton upon Mersey
Ashton upon Mersey shown within Greater Manchester |
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| OS grid reference | SJ785925 |
|---|---|
| - London | 162 mi (261 km) SE |
| Metropolitan borough | Trafford |
| Metropolitan county | Greater Manchester |
| Region | North West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SALE |
| Postcode district | M33 |
| Dialling code | 0161 |
| Police | Greater Manchester |
| Fire | Greater Manchester |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | Altrincham and Sale West |
| Wythenshawe and Sale East | |
| List of places: UK • England • Greater Manchester | |
Ashton upon Mersey is an area of Sale in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Mersey, in the northwestern part of Sale, and is situated about 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Manchester city centre.
Historically a part of Cheshire, it became an urban district in 1895 under the Local Government Act 1894. In 1930 the Ashton upon Mersey urban district was abolished and the area became a part of the urban district of Sale.[1]
A 4th-century hoard of 46 Roman coins was discovered and is one of four known hoards dating from that period discovered within the Mersey basin.[2][3] In the 18th century, it was thought that Ashton upon Mersey might have been the site of a Roman station, next to the River Mersey, called Fines Miaimae & Flaviae. However, this was based on the De Situ Britanniae, a manuscript forged by Charles Bertram, and there is no evidence to suggest any such station existed.[4] The name Ashton is Old English for "village or farm near the ash trees", suggesting that Ashton upon Mersey is of Anglo-Saxon origin.[5] The township is first mentioned in 1260.[6]
The poet Lascelles Abercrombie was born in Ashton-upon-Mersey.